Is a wingback a defender if a DMC isn't?

I've seen in game and in general talk that a wingback is classed not only as defensive position, but people would say that anyone who is a WBL or WBR is a defender.

Nobody would call a DMC a defender.

Yet they are on the same line ont he tactics screen and if anything the wingbacks tend to play more advanced (obviously depending on tactics) than a DMC.

Just wondering if it's jsut a cultural thing or if I'm looking into it too much, but maybe they should line up differently to a DMC?

WBL/WBR are defenders who will run up and down the wing however they will still defend more.

DMC are defensive midfielders who aim to support the main line of midfielders and also serve as a extra line of defense to the midfielders

Wingbacks should be classed as midfielders.

DMC's should be classed as defenders as they cover the back line.

It can be classed as both, depends on the formation and the way they are used. They are usually employed in a 3-5-2 formation, and could therefore be considered part of the midfield. But they may also be used in a 5-3-2 formation and therefore have a more defensive role. Hence why people might refer to them as defender's.

I get what you mean though.

A wingback for me is just a full back who pushes up a lot. Rather than playing slightly ahead.

if you start adding more and more lines you may aswell just go all the way and go total club manager esc dragging to anywhere on the field, then you can play with a midfield defensive right right centre back if you want

if you start adding more and more lines you may aswell just go all the way and go total club manager esc dragging to anywhere on the field, then you can play with a defensive wing back left, a midfield defensive right right centre back

Which tbh, I don't think is an awful idea.

Thanks for the replies and views guys.

i'd say that would be pretty gastly for football manager with the amount the individual player tactics effect the match. Although i would have liked to see them take a leaf out of the TCM book on the 3D

A wingback for me is just a full back who pushes up a lot. Rather than playing slightly ahead.

No, Roberto Carlos was more than just an offensive full-back.

Wing-backs are typically the only source of width in a team, which is why they need very good positioning, work rate, dribbling, passing, off-the-ball movement and tackling.

Are they defenders or midfielders? Actually, they're neither, as they have both defender and midfielder attributes.

Depending on how the team uses them, they'll be more a defender or midfielder, but arguably by default they are neither.

As an example, Evra is an offensive full-back but not a wing-back, despite his bombing runs. Wing-backs have to do a lot more dribbling and passing than Evra's runs into the final third, although his role is close to one.

Clichy too is an offensive full-back, more of a "playmaker" sort of full-back as he takes part actively in Arsenal's slow buildup.

Both, however, could be converted into wing-backs with a bit of training. Evra, for example, already played as a winger at Monaco, and will have enough tools of the trade to convert himself into a wing-back with a bit of training and inspiration from, say, Roberto Carlos.

Anyone remember the old CM formations when a WB R and WB L were referred to as DM R and DM L respectively? 03/04 I think it was.

That's a good point, I do remember that actually... I remember being confused when it changed to WB.